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  #1  
Old 04-22-2010, 04:26 PM
taylor_00 taylor_00 is offline
 
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Default smooth bore or rifled

i'm new to shotguns and was wondering how do you tell if a shotgun is rifled or has a smooth bore barrel? i have a 20 gauge remington 870 express magnum with a 21-inch vent rib rem choke with modified choke tube. is this a smooth bore or rifled? i want to shoot slugs with it. thanks.
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Old 04-22-2010, 04:52 PM
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I'd just look down the bore (safely of course).

I'm open to being wrong but I'm pretty sure you have a smooth bore. I THINK rifled barrels usually come in combos, and aren't ribbed. Plus I believe the Super Magnum Express only comes in 12 gauge (you can get the regular express in 20). but then that 21 inch barrel length.... hmmm that sounds like an Express Compact. The rifled barrel in the combo is 20 inches.

But take a look

You can shoot slugs with a smooth bore too.
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Old 04-23-2010, 04:01 PM
switchsl switchsl is offline
 
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yeah what Okotokian said. emphasis on safley ... look down the barrel. If it has lands and grooves aka rifling, well, its rifled. If its smooth well, its not. Again the correct me if Im wrong thing here... but it has a choked barrel... therefore its designed to shoot shotshells, not slugs, I would say its a standard smoothbore shotgun barrel.
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Old 04-23-2010, 04:01 PM
timsesink timsesink is offline
 
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x2
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Old 04-23-2010, 04:04 PM
switchsl switchsl is offline
 
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I should have added the modified choke will allow you to shoot slugs, but it will sacrifice some accuracy as it deforms the slug while it leaves the end of the barrel... and after repeated firing, will deform the choke. I hope some of the shotgun guru's see this and add their two cents. Why do you own a shotgun and not know the difference between rifled and not rifled anyways? just curious?
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Old 04-23-2010, 04:07 PM
timsesink timsesink is offline
 
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x2 again
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Old 04-23-2010, 04:08 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by switchsl View Post
I should have added the modified choke will allow you to shoot slugs, but it will sacrifice some accuracy as it deforms the slug while it leaves the end of the barrel... and after repeated firing, will deform the choke. I hope some of the shotgun guru's see this and add their two cents. Why do you own a shotgun and not know the difference between rifled and not rifled anyways? just curious?
Just a newbie and wondering how he could tell...BTW, very nice responses from all involved!!!!...that is how this forum should work!
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  #8  
Old 04-23-2010, 04:13 PM
guidehunt
 
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Default hunter safty

you would think that they would teach that in hunter safty ,and that someone that is going to be hunting should know that
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Old 04-23-2010, 04:22 PM
switchsl switchsl is offline
 
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Yeah by all means I wasnt trying to be rude or bring the guy down... but I assumed his PAL training and hunter ed. would have explained some of that. I hope taylor you dont take offence. Better to ask then blow something up, and i hope to see you here in the future, teaching me something, cause i aint so smart i assure you that. Im going to insert a quick story about the first few years of my muzzle loading years...

I was banging a ball down and seated the thing untill the rod bounced in the barrell... I though this was good practice. One of the ol timers and crack shots a man I still admire for his skills to this day advised me and I quote " son... when you take a leak, do you go around the building and frap it against every wall you can find to dry it off? No you give a few shakes cause thats all it needs. That bullet is the same way, tap it till its down and leave it" lol Ill never forget that.
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Old 04-23-2010, 04:24 PM
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you would think that they would teach that in hunter safty ,and that someone that is going to be hunting should know that
Therein lies the problem we have today, everyone thinks it's somebody else's job to teach people...what is wrong with passing on knowledge???...who taught you the difference???...hope it wasn't the teacher that taught you how to spell " safety"
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Old 04-23-2010, 04:36 PM
switchsl switchsl is offline
 
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From now on all my posts are going to MSN first for spell check I often wondered about the reprocusions of repeated firing of slugs from a choked barrel, especially interchangable chokes. I know rifled slugs allow deformation and ease the transfer at the end of the barrel, and there is another style of barrel the name escapes me where the last 30% or so is rifled which allows shot and slug use... somebody enlighten us please... Im not a shotgun guy. If it were up to me Id be out hunting with My Fusil de Chasse lol. Une fois qu'ils en auroient connula difference, on ne pourvoit plus leur en faire accepter di'autres
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  #12  
Old 04-23-2010, 04:42 PM
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Dettah Wolf Dettah Wolf is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by guidehunt View Post
you would think that they would teach that in hunter safty ,and that someone that is going to be hunting should know that
In the safety course I had stuffed down my throat, the instructor informed us that the only rimfire ammo being manufactured today was in the 22 caliber!! Yes, I corrected him (that was a little interesting). But I doubt that he would have known the difference in a rifled or smooth bore either. None the less, it was never brought up.
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Old 04-23-2010, 04:47 PM
guidehunt
 
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Default ha 53

i think i learned that my first day in hunter ed .and as far as spelling thats why i am a guide it fine to ask on here but dont you think someone walking around with a firearm should haved learned that in hunter ed .
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Old 04-23-2010, 05:14 PM
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Don't forget that there are two types of slugs, one for smooth bores and one type for rifled barrels
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Old 04-23-2010, 05:16 PM
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Originally Posted by guidehunt View Post
i think i learned that my first day in hunter ed .and as far as spelling thats why i am a guide it fine to ask on here but dont you think someone walking around with a firearm should haved learned that in hunter ed .
never mind....please delete. not worth it
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Old 04-23-2010, 06:53 PM
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The two types of slugs are Foster and Sabot slugs, I forgot to mention that
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  #17  
Old 04-24-2010, 04:53 PM
taylor_00 taylor_00 is offline
 
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i just got this gun for my birthday, i'm 16 and never hunted before. but want to get into it and begged my parents to buy it for me. i'm planning on taking a safety course over the summer when school gets out. i know it was probably a stupid question, i really don't know anything about guns as no one in my family or any of my friends hunt. but i want to learn. i know that rifled slugs are for a smooth bore though, i just wanted to be sure that's what i have. the gun i have is the remington 20 gauge 870 express magnum. when i stick my finger in the barrel it's smooth so i figured it wasn't rifled, but like i said i just wanted to be sure. thanks for all the replies.
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  #18  
Old 04-24-2010, 09:57 PM
Rantastic Rantastic is offline
 
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yup taylor u got it right and if u want to be 100% put ur finger in the action and triple check there is no shell as well as look in the action to visualy check it and then u can shine a flashlight in the action and safely look down the end of the gun from the business end.

I dont remember learning the difference in my safety training class either but i took mine when i was 14, 12 years ago at hunting camp. But like many others. not a shotgun guy so i never needed to know before now like u. And you got it right about the rifled aka foster slugs for use in smooth bore shotguns and Sabot(shaped like a regular bullet) is to be fired out of rifled barrels.

AS far as i know shot shells meant for bird hunting or clay pigeon shooting are never to be shot out of rifled barrels. Someone please correct me if im wrong
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  #19  
Old 04-25-2010, 07:56 AM
switchsl switchsl is offline
 
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shot in a rifled barrel will plug the grooves with lead, or damage them with the steel shot, and there is a possibility of jamming up the barrel and bulging or blowing it.
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  #20  
Old 04-25-2010, 04:07 PM
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Taylor if you ever have a question about a gun don't think it's a stupid question, no one knows everything so there's absolutely no harm in asking and feel free to ask on the forum at any time. There's no such thing as a stupid question when it comes to safety when handling and using firearms or anything else for that matter. Have fun and be safe.
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  #21  
Old 04-25-2010, 04:25 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mudbug View Post
Taylor if you ever have a question about a gun don't think it's a stupid question, no one knows everything so there's absolutely no harm in asking and feel free to ask on the forum at any time. There's no such thing as a stupid question when it comes to safety when handling and using firearms or anything else for that matter. Have fun and be safe.
X2!
I was told once that there is no such thing as a stupid question.
there can be stupid answers, but never stupid questions!!
Have fun and ask more!
Cat
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Anytime I figure I've got this long range thing figured out, I just strap into the sling and irons and remind myself that I don't!
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  #22  
Old 04-25-2010, 04:34 PM
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hal53 hal53 is offline
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X2!
I was told once that there is no such thing as a stupid question.
there can be stupid answers, but never stupid questions!!
Have fun and ask more!
Cat
X3!!...one of my first Bosses in the patch told me to "never be afraid to ask a stupid question, they're easier to handle than stupid mistakes".Good Advice.
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  #23  
Old 04-25-2010, 05:10 PM
Rantastic Rantastic is offline
 
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funny i sent him a pm sayin all the same thing as the last 3 guys lol.. I hate when ppl get picked on for asking good questions about safety. And These is maybe good rules to be learned in the oil patch... especially the one that goes... dont put your fingers anywhere you wouldn't put your... lol
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